


Ice Skates

by rainbow_porcupine_ninja



Series: Merlin One-Shots [3]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Canon Era, Deal With It, Fluff, Gwaine ships it, M/M, Merlin can skate like a pro, Oblivious!Arthur, One Shot, Yes Camelot has Ice-Skates, falling over, i don't care, knights of the round table - Freeform, oblivious!Merlin, yep, yep bye
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-24
Updated: 2018-05-24
Packaged: 2019-05-13 07:12:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14744300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbow_porcupine_ninja/pseuds/rainbow_porcupine_ninja





	Ice Skates

Merlin began to think there was no hope for Spring. As the Winter weeks battled their way through January, the temperatures dropped below zero. Soon, the whole of Camelot was covered in a blanket of snow.  
However, one morning, as he was pulling open the curtains of Arthur’s chambers, the landscape outside seemed beautiful and fragile. The bright sun shun down in radiant bursts through the trees and onto the glittering snow. The lake had completely frozen over and reflected the bleak trees surrounding it. The whole image looked very surreal and peaceful.  
Merlin was jarred out of his thoughts by Arthur groaning at the sudden change of atmosphere. ‘Merlin, shut those damn curtains, it’s way too early,’ called Arthur grumpily from his bed. Merlin glared in his direction and muttered ‘Prat,’ under his breath while pulling the velvet curtains even farther apart.   
Merlin wished that he could come with Arthur and his knights to the lake to ice-skate; he loved iceskating and had been doing it since he was a child living in Ealdor, which was near a small lake. His mom had saved up for a beautiful pair (which didn’t fit him now, of course) and every winter Merlin skated on the lake with his best friend, Will, until he moved to Camelot. But he knew that Arthur would never invite him and once again he would watch Arthur and his friends have fun while he was stuck inside with a list of chores longer than his legs.  
‘Morning, Sire,’ Merlin called as cheerfully as he could, making his way over to the table and setting up the tray. He could hear the rustle of sheets as Arthur threw his legs over the side of the bed, but had no way of knowing that Arthur had thrown a pillow towards his head until it was too late. Thump. ‘Arthur,’ Merlin wined from the floor. The pillow made Arthur feel better and he pushed himself off the bed, still just in his breeches, swaggered over to his clumsy servant and picked him up by the elbows, setting him on his feet.   
‘Come on, Merlin, we’ve got to hurry up and get ready before my knights beat us to the lake,’ Arthur proclaimed as Merlin turned around to face Arthur, trying not to notice how close Arthur’s bare chest was to his, or stare at the muscles on Arthur’s smooth chest. ‘What do you mean, “we”?’ Merlin asked cautiously.   
‘Well, you’re coming too, of course,’ Arthur dismissed, turning around and heading to the table, but not before Arthur’s shoulder accidentally brushed Merlin’s chest. Merlin felt butterflies at the contact but ignored them, focusing on what Arthur had just said.  
‘Why?’ Merlin asked, not believing his ears.   
The truth was, Arthur had seen how unhappy Merlin had been the past few years when they went off to the lake, and wanted to make it up to him, but of course Arthur would never admit it.  
‘Well, I need someone to be better than,’ lied Arthur, smirking. Merlin rolled his eyes, unable to hide a grin. ‘We’ll see about that,’ he muttered.

***

1 hour later they were all standing by the lake with their skates in hand, shielding their eyes from the sun. Merlin had taken his skates and performed magic so they were the right size and cleaned them up a bit so they looked nicer and taken his special long jacket out from the back of his cupboard to keep out the cold. Merlin looked over to where Arthur was standing and caught him looking at him strangely. ‘What?’ mouthed Merlin. Arthur shook his head, frowning.   
‘Alrighty,’ Gwaine said, sitting down on a log and starting to put on his skates. The others followed suit. Merlin was the first one to finish tying up his laces and couldn’t wait to get on the ice. He looked over to Arthur. ‘Can I…’ 

Arthur smirked. ‘Go ahead Merlin, show us what you’ve got…’

Merlin rolled his eyes and tried to hide his blush as he stepped out onto the ice. The first few steps were clumsy and unpracticed and he hoped he couldn’t hear snickering from behind him. But soon his feet remembered how to skate and he glided around the lake with ease and the grace of a professional, even doing a spin, smirking as he saw Arthur’s jaw drop. 

***

Arthur watched as his clumsy, gangly Merlin skated gracefully across the ice. He looked more natural and in control then in any other area. No wonder Merlin desperately wanted to go on the ice, Arthur thought with remorse.   
‘Hurry up, you lazy sods!’ Merlin called from the ice. Soon everyone was skating in circles on the frozen lake, no-one as good as Merlin, but everyone having the ability to skate. 

 

***

Gwaine grinned at Leon from the log they were sitting on. ‘You ready to start Phase 1 in Operation Merthur?’   
‘You bet, I’ve been waiting for this moment for weeks.’  
The two mischief makers had noticed how close Merlin and Arthur were getting and how the two were starting to have feelings for each other, but both were so oblivious to the other’s it was ridiculous. So, they had banded together to help them notice their feelings for each other. It had started out as simple titbits of advice, and Gwaine had tried to make Arthur jealous of him by advancing on Merlin, but nothing had worked up until now. So they decided to take this a little more seriously. And Merlin being a good skater just made things better.  
They ran through the various plans they had set for that day. Then Leon grasped Gwaine’s arm to help pull him up and they set off onto the ice again.

***  
Arthur was skating over towards Merlin, hoping to swallow his pride and get a few pointers from his manservant. Then things went so quickly it was hard to keep track. Arthur had planned on skating right up next to Merlin, who was standing in the middle of the ice, talking to Percival, but Leon had somehow slid into the path of Arthur’s skates, causing Arthur to use his reflexes and change course; right into Merlin’s backside. Down they went and soon Merlin was sprawled across Arthur on the cold hard ice. ‘Leon!’ shouted Arthur indignantly from under Merlin but Leon had quickly skid away, leaving the two piled up on the ice. ‘Sorry, Merlin,’ Arthur mumbled into Merlin’s coat and he immediately got off Arthur and stood up, offering a hand to his King. Then Gwaine sneakily skated over to Merlin and gave him a little bump, making Merlin lose his balance and tumble into Arthur’s arms, back on the ice.   
‘Merlin,’ groaned Arthur, and Merlin felt his core turn molten at the sound of Arthur’s voice. ’Sorry, I…’ He realised how close their lips were but had a sudden urge to break the distance.Merlin looked around but of course Gwaine was nowhere to be seen. Again Merlin rolled off Arthur and they gripped each other to get back up. Arthur coloured and stepped back. ‘Thanks,’ he muttered. ‘Uh, I was wondering if you would-‘  
‘Help you?’ Merlin finished, grinning cheekily while Arthur turned another shade of puce.   
‘Yeah, I guess. Just maybe give me a few pointers?’  
Merlin had never seen Arthur so earnest and eager to learn before. ‘Alright.’ He grabbed Arthur’s arm, and, fighting down the inner butterflies with a massive mental stick, showed Arthur how to glide for longer with momentum.   
*Leon and Gwaine and practically everyone smirking at the two lovebirds*

***  
‘Gwaine,’ whispered Leon. Gwaine looked over from Arthur and Merlin. ‘I have another idea.’ Gwaine gave a shit-eating grin in response. ‘Go on.’   
‘We need to get everyone off the lake so that they feel more comfortable, and then,’ Leon looked around, ’well, leave the rest to me.’ Gwaine looked doubtful but nodded. ‘Okay, I’ll get everyone off the ice then.’

***  
Merlin skated around with Arthur until Arthur had finally got the hang of turning and stopping, then looked around, noticing the quiet. ‘There’s- where is everyone?’ Arthur stopped smoothly and looked around the lake as well, looking confused. ‘Have they abandoned us?’ Arthur asked with a smirk.  
‘I guess so. You want to go inside?’ asked Merlin, really wishing Arthur would stay.  
‘Nah. Let’s stay a little longer.’ But Arthur made no move to skate around the lake again and stepped towards Merlin, who had no idea what would happen next.  
‘Um, Merlin, I have something I have got to tell you.’ He paused. ‘I think I, uh, might be-‘ A twig cracked from behind Merlin and Arthur looked up then stepped closer to him so that his mouth was near Merlin’s ear.   
‘Don’t turn around,’ Arthur drawled slowly, his mouth grazing Merlins’ earlobe, ‘but I have a feeling that we are being set up by certain knights.’  
Oh God. Merlin had to use all of his willpower to not turn around and see Leon in the bushes just off the lake. ‘Well, what do we do?’ he asked cautiously, not liking the look in Arthur’s eyes.  
‘We…’ Arthur leaned closer, only inches from Merlin’s face, his eyes almost tender and sparkling like diamonds in the sun. ‘…Might as well give them a show.’ He planted his lips right on Merlin’s who gasped and stepped back for balance but a small log had unexpectedly slid across the lake and he tripped, bringing Arthur down with him, who had no intention of breaking the kiss. So Merlin kissed back with everything he had, clutching Arthur’s shirt and seeing stars as Arthur ran his hands through Merlin’s hair.

***  
‘Oh my god, are they still kissing?’ shout-whispered Gwaine to Leon. ‘I had no idea they were this intimate,’ Leon responded with a smirk.   
‘Shall we do something?’  
’Nah, let’s leave them be and go inside before they notice us. Sooner or later they’ll finish up.’


End file.
